THE INFLUENCE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

ON THE CHARISMATIC THEOLOGY OF ST. LUKE

by Roger Stronstad

The Old Testament influences Luke's theology of the Holy Spirit in

at least two ways. First, several Old Testament charismatic motifs-such
as the transfer and sign motifs-are reflected in Luke-Acts. Second, the
Septuagint, which is the Greek Bible used by Luke and the early Church,
gives Luke much of his terminology for describing the activity of the Holy
Spirit in New Testament times. Therefore, the study of the charismatic
activity of the Spirit of God in Old Testament times is a necessary
preliminary to a proper understanding of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts.
For the purpose of demonstrating the influence of the Old Testa-
ment on Luke's theology of the Holy Spirit, I will not investigate the Old
Testament use of "spirit", for in both the Hebrew and Greek Bibles it
ranges in meaning from breath, wind, and attitude or emotion to Spirit of
God. Rather, I will focus my investigation upon the charismatic activity
of the Spirit of God. By "charismatic" I mean God's gift of his Spirit to
either an individual or to a group to equip them for divine service. This
gift of the Spirit of God has both experiential and functional dimensions.

Roger Stronstad (M.C.S., Regent College)is an instructor in Bible and Theology at

Western Pentecostal Bible College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an ordained
minister in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

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 This study divides into two parts. In part one I will survey the charis-
matic activity of the Spirit of God in Old Testament times. The texts
which describe this charismatic activity of the Spirit are both historical
and prophetic. With regard to the historical data, I will survey 1) the
chronological distribution of the charismatic activity of the Spirit, 2) the
motifs or themes to be observed in the charismatic activity of the Spirit, _
and 3) the Septuagintal terminology used by the translators to describe
the charismatic activity of the Spirit. With regard to the prophetic antici-
pations for the gift of the Spirit in the coming age of restoration, I will
explore 1) the Spirit and the Messiah, and 2) the Spirit and the people of
God.
In part two I will explore the influence of the Old Testament upon
Luke's theology of the Holy Spirit With regard to this influence, I will
survey 1) the Spirit and the Messianic age: fulfillment in Luke-Acts, 2)
the chronological distribution of the activity of the Spirit, 3) the
Septuagintal terminology in Luke-Acts, and 4) charismatic motifs.

Part One: The Charismatic Activity of the Spirit in

Old Testament Times.
A. Historical Data
1. The Distribution of Texts

The distribution of texts which describes the charismatic activity of

the Spirit of God in Old Testament times is restricted to five clearly
defined periods. These correspond to key phases in the political and
religious development of Israel: 1) the founding of Israel in the Wilder-
ness (Ex. 28:3; 31:3; 31:3; 35:31; Num. 11:17; 25-29; 23:6 (LXX); 24:2;
27:18; Deut. 34:9), 2) the time of the Judges (Judg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29;
13:25; 14:6;19;15:14), 3) the founding of the Monarchy (1 Sam. 10:6-10;
11:6; 16:13; 19:20; 23; 2 Sam. 23:2), 4) the time of Elijah and Elisha (1
Ki. 18:12, 2 Ki. 2:9, 15-16), and 5) the period of Exile and restoration
(Ezek. 2:2; 3:12, 14, 24; 8:3; 11:1, 5, 24; 37:1; 43:5; 1 Chron. 12:18, 2
Chron. 15:1; 18:20-23; 20:14; 24:20; Neh. 9:20, 30).
On the basis of the chronological distribution of texts, we can draw .
three inferences about its significance. First, the offices which corre-
spond to the five periods of Israel's political and religious developmen

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are charismatic. In Moses, Joshua, and the elders, the fledgling nation
has its founding fathers, in judges such as Othniel and Gideon the tribal
society has its charismatic warriors or deliverers, in Saul and David the
tribal confederation has its charismatic kings, in Elijah and Elisha an
apostate Israel has its charismatic prophets, and in Ezekiel, Zechariah
the son of Jehoiada the priest and others-Judah during the exile and '
restoration has its charismatic prophets and priests. With few excep-
tions the charismatic activity of the Spirit of God is successively
concentrated upon founding fathers, judges, kings, prophets and priests.
Second, there is no experiential continuity between these five
periods of charismatic activity. With the possible exception of the time of
the Judges, these periods of charismatic activity are clearly defined
chronologically, and are separated by gaps of up to two centuries or
more. The texts demonstrate that the cessation of the charismatic .
experience in any one period need not be permanent. The nation can
always anticipate a future outpouring of the Spirit, such as the prophets
predict for the coming age of the Messiah. Because it is Israel's God who
gives his Spirit at these key periods of its political and religious develop-
ment, the continuity is to be found in him and not in those who receive the
Spirit.
Third, the descriptions of the charismatic activity of the Spirit are
programmatic, that is, they point to an activity of the Spirit more wide-
spread than is indicated by the statistical data. For example, the reader
of the Exodus narratives would be ignorant of Moses' charismatic
leadership apart from the record of the transfer of the Spirit from Moses
to the elders. In this narrative, the reader discovers for the first time that
Moses has the Spirit upon him (Num. 11:17). The narrative reports,
"Then the LORD came down in the clouds ... and took some of the spirit
'
that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders" (Num. 11:25).
This description of the transfer of the Spirit from Moses to the elders
implies what is not stated elsewhere-Moses administered Israel by the
power of the Spirit. Similarly, the Old Testament narrators gave
programmatic indicators for the ministries of Joshua, Elijah, Elisha and
others to imply a widespread charismatic ministry.

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 2. Charismatic Motifs.

a. Transfer Motif.
The most striking motif or theme for the charismatic activity of the
Spirit of God is the transfer of the Spirit as part of the transfer of
leadership responsibilities. In the context of the programmatic character
of the narratives we have already observed the transfer of the Spirit from
Moses to the elders. In addition, there is a transfer of the Spirit from
Moses to Joshua, from Saul to David and from Elijah to Elisha.
The partial transfer of leadership responsibilities from Moses to the .
seventy elders is the LORD's response to Moses' complaint, "I am not
able to carry all this people alone, the burden is too heavy for me" (Num.
11:14). The LORD then instructs him, "Gather for me seventy men of the
elders of Israel" (Num. 11:16). He then promises,

... I will take some of the spirit which is upon you and put it
upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with
you, that you may not bear it yourself alone (Num. 11:17).
When Moses and the elders have gathered at the Tabernacle,
Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and
took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the
seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they
prophesied (Num. 11:25).
In this and subsequent examples, the transfer of the Spirit is the
necessary complement to the transfer of the responsibility of leader-
ship.
At his approaching death both the leadership of Israel and the gift of
the Spirit are transferred from Moses to Joshua. Mose requests that the
LORD, "appoint a man over the congregation" (Num. 27:16). the LORD
instructs him,
Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay
your hand upon him ... You shall invest him with some of your
authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may
obey (Num. 27:18-20).
A parallel passage in Deuteronomy looks back to this incident. It reports,

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 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for
Moses had laid his hands upon him; so the people of Israel
obeyed him, and did as the LORD had commanded (Deut.
34:9).
This latter text makes explicit what was but implied in the earlier
account: the transfer of leadership from Moses to Joshua is accom-
panied by a corresponding transfer of the Spirit.
With Saul and David we encounter a further example of the transfer
of both leadership and the Sprit When Samuel anointed Saul to be king,
"the Spirit of God came mightily upon him" (1 Sam. 10:10). Similarly,
when Samuel anointed David to be Saul's successor, "the Spirit of the
LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward" ( Sam. 16:13).
That this is a transfer of the Spirit from Saul to David is confirmed by the
fact that having come upon David, "the Spirit of the LORD departed
from Saul (1 Sam. 16:14).
The final example is the transfer of the Spirit from Elijah to Elisha.
The text records that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you,
before I am taken from you." Elisha then requests, "I pray you, let me
inherit a double share of your spirit" (2 KL 2:9). This request is soon
fulfilled, for the sons of the prophets recognize that, "The spirit of Elijah
rests on Elisha" (2 Ki. 2:15). This transfer of the prophetic vocation and
the gift of the Spirit is confirmed by Elisha's ability to part the Jordan
just as Elijah had done earlier (2 Ki. 2:8-14).

b. Sign Motif
The description of Saul's anointing clearly states that one purpose
of the gift of the Spirit is to give a sign to confirm or authenticate God's
call to leadership. Samuel tells Saul that a sign will confirm, "that the
LORD has anointed you to be prince over his heritage" (1 Sam.10:1). He
then enumerates three signs that will come to Saul: 1) at Rachel's tomb
he will learn that the lost asses have been found, 2) at Bethel he will be
given two loaves of bread, and 3) at Gibeah the Spirit of God will come
upon him and he will prophesy (1 Sam. 10:2-6). With special emphasis on
the third sign, the text reports,
'and all these signs came to pass that day. When they came to
Gibeah, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of

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 God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them.
And when all who knew him before saw how he prophesied with
the prophets, the people said to one another, "What has come
over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" (2 Sam.
.10:9-1 1).
This narrative makes it clear that the gift of the Spirit of prophecy not
only gives Saul the experiential confirmation or sign that God is with him
(1 Sam. 10:7), but also publicly demonstrates to the nation that Saul is
the LORD's anointed.
For Saul, the gift of the Spirit of prophecy may function as but one
sign among others, but this sign is also observable in several other
narratives. For example, at the beginning of their new leadership
responsibilities, the Spirit is placed upon the elders and they prophesy.
Moreover, the gift of the Spirit to David at his anointing is described in
identical terms to the earlier gift to Saul, authenticating him as the
divinely chosen successor to SauL Whereas no sign is reported when the
Spirit comes upon David, like his predecessor he is also a prophet. In a
later text he claims, "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me, his word is
upon my tongue" (2 Sam. 23:2).
In addition to the explicit sign function of the prophetic dimension
of the gift of the Spirit, there is also a general association of the gift of the
Spirit and prophecy. In Chronicles, for example, the texts follow an
invariable pattern: the description of the gift of the Spirit is always
followed by a report of direct speech. This pattern is evident for Amasai,
Azariah the son of Oded, Jahaziel a Levite, and Zechariah the son of
Jehoiada the priest (1 Chron. 12:18, 2 Chron. 15:1; 20:14; 24:20). This
pattern, which implies prophetic inspiration for those who are not
prophets by office, is also evident in prophets such as Balaam and
Ezekiel (Num. 23:6 (LXX), Ezek. 11:5). And so, whether the evidence
comes from the experience of Saul, the seventy elders, the writings of the
Chronicler or elsewhere, the prophetic gift of the Spirit always has an
experiential and functional dimension; a dimension which in some cases,
at least, serves as an explicit sign to authenticate or confirm God's call to
service. _

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3. Septuagintal Terminology.
While the charismatic motifs are the same whether they are derived
from the Hebrew or Greek Bible, since the Biblical quotations in Luke-
Acts reflect the Septuagintal text of the Old Testament, the Septuagintal
terminology merits special study. The translators of the Septuagint used
many verbs to describe the charismatic activity of the Spirit of God. They
are listed below in order of increasing frequency.

1. to carry (Tropeuo/io't, aor., lx), Ezek. 3:14.

2. to cast (PL7rrw, aor., lx), 2 Ki. 2:16.
3. to depart (a1TECIT17, aor., lx), 1 Sam. 16:14.
4. to fall upon (1Tt1TúJ ... E1Tt'aor., 1 x), Ezek. 11 :25.
5. to go out with (o'u?'EKTTopEuco?at, aor., Ix), Judg. 13:25.
6. to bear witness aor., lx), Neh. 9:20.
7. to come upon (EPX°j.Lat... E1TL,aor., 2x), Ezek. 2:2; 3:24.
8. to life up aor., 2x), Ezek. 2:2; 3:14.
9. to put upon (E1TLn{)17j.LL, fut/aor., 2x), Num. 11:17, 25.
10. to raise (acpc,a, aor., 2x), 1 Ki. 18:12; 2 Ki. 2:16.
11. to speak (XEyw, aor., 2x), Ezek. 3:24; 11:5.
12. to stand (LCIT17j.Lt, aor., 2x), Ezek. 2:2; 3:24.
13. to take from fut/aor., 2x), Num. 11:17, 25.
14. to talk aor., 2x), 2 Sam. 23:2; Ezek. 3:24.
15. to clothe aor., 3x), Judg. 6:34; 1 Chron. 12:18;
2 Chron. 24:20.
16. to give aor., 3x), Num. 11:29; Neh. 9:201 Isa. 42:1.
17. to have (Exw, pres., 3x), Gen. 41:38; Num. 27:18; Dan. 5:12.
18. to fill(1TLj.L1TÀ17j.Lt,aor.,
4x), Exod. 28:3; 31:3; 35:31; Deut. 34:9.
19. to rest upon (E1TavaTTavúJ... E1TL,4x), Num. 11:25-26; 2 Ki.
2:15; Isa. 11:2.
20. to lead (ayw, aor., 5x), Ezek. 8:3; 11:1, 24; 37:1; 43:5.
21. to come mightily upon (17Àa't'o ... E1Tt,7x),Judg.14:6, 19; 15:14;
1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13.
22. to take up (avaÀaj.L!3avúJ, aor., 7x), Ezek. 2:2; 3:12, 14; 8:3;
11:1, 24: 43:5.
23. to come upon (YLvo¡;.at... E1Tt,aor., 9x), Num. 23:6; 24:2; Judg.
3:10; 11:29; 1 Sam. 19:20, 23; 2 Ki. 2:9; 2 Chron. 15:1.

38
 Clearly, in order to describe the complex character of the
charismatic activity of the Spirit of God, the translators used a multitude
of terms; some twenty-three different verbs in the Septuagint. Though
man may have the Spirit, and God may either fill with the Spirit,
take/put, and give the Spirit, most often the Spirit acts directly.
Typically, the Spirit acts upon (ETTL),and occasionally in/by (rev) or to
(rrpoa) a particular individual or group. Moreover, almost without
exception, the translators use the aorist tense to describe this charis-
matic activity of the Spirit, thereby emphasizing the historical act rather
than a condition or a state.

B. Prophetic Data
1. The Spirit and the Messiah
In addition to the historical descriptions of the charismatic activity
of the Spirit of God, there is also a prophetic anticipation for the gift of
the Spirit in the coming age when God would again visit his people and
restore their fortunes. This activity of the Spirit is concentrated upon a
unique charismatic leader and a people who are both empowered and
renewed by the Spirit.
The prophet Isaiah describes the gift of the Spirit to an enigmatic
leader who is, "a shoot from the stump of Jesse" (Isa. 11:1). Having
established his Davidic lineage, the prophet continues,
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the
spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11:2).
In a further text the Lord puts his Spirit upon his servant, proclaiming,
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my
soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth
justice to the nations (Isa. 42:1).
A final text seems to describe the experience of the prophet himself.
He claims,
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has
anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the

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 captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound
(Isa 61:1).
Whatever difficulties these texts create for the interpreter, one fact
stands clear they describe a charismatic leader-the Lord's anointed or
the Messiah.
The charismatic gift of the Spirit of the Lord to the Messiah has a
two-fold significance. In the first place, it signifies that his ministry is not
simply hereditary. Like David himself, he will fill his office by right of
divine call rather than by dynastic succession. He expresses the
consciousness of his call in the claim, "And now the Lord God has sent
me and his Spirit" (Isa. 48:16). In fact, the gift of the Spirit gives the
Messiah a status unequalled among either David's sons or the prophets,
for it puts him in the tradition of Israel's great charismatic founders-
Moses, Joshua and David.
In the second place, the gift of the Spirit to the Messiah, as for his
charismatic predecessors, equips him with the skills appropriate for his
call. It is fitting that for his unparalleled mission he receives the fullest
endowment of the Spirit which is recorded in Scripture: the six-fold
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, and know-
ledge and the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11 :2). The programmatic character of
these texts indicate that in comparison with any of Israel's charismatic
leaders, the Messiah is uniquely a man of the Spirit

2. The Spirit and the People of God

In the coming age, however, the Spirit will not rest exclusively upon
the Messiah. Rather, he will share the charismatic gift of the Spirit with
the restored people of God. In the prophet Joel we meet the vision of a
widespread charismatic or prophetic ministry. Hiw now classic oracle
reads,
And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even upon the menservants and maidservants
in those days, I will pour out my spirit (Joel 2:28-29).

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. As Joel predicts it, this outpouring of the Spirit is for "all flesh"
which in context means all IsraeL It will be universal both in extent and
status. That is, when God visits his people to restore their fortunes, the
Spirit of prophecy will no longer be restricted to Israel's leaders, nor will
it be given in conformity to the norms of Israelite society, for God will give
the Spirit to the young men as well as to the elders, to daughters and even
to slaves. This outpouring of the Spirit will, in fact, create a charismatic
community.
Complementing this creation of a future charismatic community,
God will also create a new Israel through the inward renewal of the Spirit.
Using a wide range of metaphors and allusions, the prophets Isaiah and
Ezeikiel give voice to this hope. This renewal of the Spirit is described in
terms of the cleansing or purifying action of water and fire (Isa. 4:4). It
will also be like the life-giving rain in the desert (Isa. 44:3). Moreover, this
inward renewal will require a new covenant
And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. My
spirit which is upon you, and my words which I have put in your
mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth
of your children, or out of the mouth of your children's children,
says the Lord, from this time forth and for evermore.
(Isa. 59:21)
God guarantees the effectiveness of this new covenant by promising
Israel,
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you;
and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a
heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances
(Ezek 36:26-27).
As the prophets describe it, then, the gift of the Spirit of God in the
age to come will be characterized by two new dimensions. First God will
pour out his Spirit on a universal scale. The difference between the
charismatic activity of the Spirit throughout Israelite history and the age
to come is simply one of magnitude. In the age to come the gift of the
Spirit to the community will supercede the gift of the Spirit to Israel's
charismatic leaders. Second, in the age to come God's people will also
experience a new dimension of the Spirit-the indwelling of the Spirit.

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By his Spirit God will cleanse and purify his people from their sins, create
new life in them, and impart to them the power to keep his convenantal
demands. This inward renewal of theSpirit will complement the charis-
matic gift of the Spirit. With God pouring out his Spirit upon them the
future community of the Lord's anointed will receive both charismatic
and moral or spiritual power.

Part Two:
The Influence of the Old Testament Upon Luke's
Theology of the Holy Spirit

It is against this background of charismatic leadership in Israel, of

the prophetic hope for the coming of the Lord's anointed and for a
community which will receive both the charismatic gift of the Spirit and
the indwelling of the Spirit, that the gift of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts is
to be interpreted.

1. The Spirit and the Messianic Age: Fulfillment in Luke-Acts

The activity of the Spirit is a central theme in the two inauguration

narratives of Luke-Acts. In the Gospel, the widespread activity of the
Spirit in the opening narratives finds its climax in the descent of the Holy
Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism by John (Lk 3:21-22). Similarly, in Acts
the inquguration narrative focuses upon the gift of the Spirit to the
disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).
Both of these narratives emphasize that the gift of the Holy Spirit
fulfills prophecy. For his synagogue homily. after his baptism, Jesus
interprets his baptismal experience in terms of an oracle from the
prophet Isaiah, declaring, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in
your hearing" (Lk. 4:18-21). Similarly, Peter claims that the experience
of the disciples on the day of Pentecost fulfills an oracle from Joel. He
announces, "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel" (Acts
2:16). Of all the evangelists, Luke alone records this consciousness in
Jesus and the disciples that they have received the Holy Spirit in ful-
fillment of prophecy. Luke's record of this appeal to the prophets
demonstrates that in the experience of the early church and the theology
of Luke the last days have now dawned the ministries of Jesus and the
disciples.

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 Moreover, in appealing to the Prophets, Jesus and the disciples
express their conviction that the gift of the Spirit is a charismatic or
vocational experience. That is, the Holy Spirit is upon Jesus anointing
him to preach the Gospel, and subsequently upon the disciples causing
them to prophesy. It is noteworthy that in identifying the gift of the Spirit
on the day of Pentecost with the prophecy of Joel, rather than quoting
from one of the numerous prophetic references to the indwelling and
inward renewal of the Spirit, Peter cites the only prophetic text which
explicitly speaks of a charismatic outpouring of the Spirit upon the
community of God's people.

2. Chronological Distribution

Historically, this outburst of the charismatic activity of the Spirit

ends a centuries long dearth of the activity of the Spirit of God among his
'
people. The rabbinic tradition states,
When the last prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, died,
the Holy Spirit ceased out of Israel; but nevertheless it was
granted them to hear communications from God by means of a
mysterious voice (Tos. Sotah 13, 2).
While it is later than New Testament times, this tradition merely echoes
the establishment conviction to be found in the literature of Judaism
from First Maccabees to Josephus that the Spirit-who is almost always
the Sprit of prophecy-was no longer active in Israel. According to this
intertestamental literature, God had withdrawn his Spirit because of
Israel's sin, leaving only the deposit of the law and a shadowy hope for a
coming prophet, a hope which implies the renewed gift of the Spirit to
Israel.
This absence of the Spirit in Judaism and the renewed activity of the
Spirit in the ministries of Jesus and the disciples is reminiscent of the
recurring pattern of charismatic activity throughout Israelite history.
Just as we observed a concentrated outburse of the charismatic activity
of the Spirit of God at key periods of Israelite history, followed by gaps in
that activity, so there is an observable gap between the activity of the
Spirit in the period of Exile/Restoration and the inauguration of the
Messianic age. The historical distance between the experience of Jesus
and the earlier activity of the Spirit reminds us that the gift of the Spirit

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does not depend on experiential continuity. Rather, the continuity is in
the God who, having promised through the prophets to send a Spirit-
anointed charismatic leader and to create a charismatic community in
the last days, fulfills it in the gift of the Holy Spirit to Jesus and the
disciples. ,

3. Septuagintal Terminology in Luke-Acts

In comparison with John and Paul, Luke has a distinctive termi-

nology for the activity of the Holy Spirit. Absent in Luke-Acts is such
characteristic Johannine terminology as, "the Spirit of truth," and, "the
Paraclete." Also absent is typical Pauline terminology such as, "the fruit
of the Spirit," "the gifts of the Spirit," and "the seal of the Spirit." Not
only is characteristic Johannine and Pauline terminology absent in the
writings of Luke, but common Lukan terminology is either absent or rare
in the Johannine and Pauline literature. Reflecting a different heritage
than do both John and Paul, Luke commonly describes the activity of the
Holy Spirit in septuagintal terminology.

This influence of the Septuagint upon Luke's terminology for the

activity of the Holy Spirit is illustrated in the following chart.

Septuagintal Terminology Frequency Luke-Acts

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 This data which we have outlined leads to two conclusions. In the
first place, while Luke does not limit himself to septuagintal terminology,
he is clearly a debtor to the Greek Bible for his most distinctive
terminology by which he describes the activity of the Holy Spirit.
However, though Luke is-indebted to the Septuagint for much of his
terminology, he is not a slavish imitator. Rather, he creatively describes
the activity of the Holy Spirit in New Testament times in terms of his
scriptural and theological heritage. In the second place, this septuagintal
terminology in Luke-Acts describes the same kind of experience for
Luke as it did for the translators of the Septuagint. This is the charis-
matic activity of the Spirit among the company of God's people. Conse-
quently, this terminology does not describe what contemporary inter-
preters term to be initiation or incorporation.

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4. Charismatic Motifs

The transfer of the Spirit motif, so characteristic of Old Testament

times, is also prominent in Luke-Acts, particularly in the transfer of the
Holy Spirit from Jesus to the disciples. Though the Gospel opens with an
unexpected outburse of the activity of the Holy Spirit, from Jesus'
baptism to his ascension, the Spirit is concentrated solely upon Jesus. As
Luke reports it, he is full of the Holy Spirit, led by the Spirit and
ministers in the power of the Spirit (Lk 4:1, 14). Luke's record is
reminiscent of the programmatic descriptions of the gift of the Spirit to
Moses and Elijah, and makes explicit what is implicit in Jesus' claim to
messiahship-he is the unique bearer of the Spirit.
Having become the Lord's anointed, or the unique bearer of the
Spirit at his baptism, Jesus becomes the giver of the Spirit to the
disciples on the day of Pentecost. Peter explains the Pentecostal gift of
the Spirit saying,
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has
poured out this which you see and hear (Acts 2:33).
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, then, is a transfer of
the Spirit from the risen and exalted Lord to his disciples. Interestingly,
this motif is more widespread than the Lukan writings. According to the
Gospel of John as well, Jesus is the exclusive bearer of the Spirit during
his public ministry and the given of the Spirit to the disciples after his
resurrection (Jn. 7:39; 16:7; 20:22).
The transfer of the Spirit from Jesus to the disciples is strikingly
reminiscent of the transfer of the Spirit from Moses to the elders. Both
involve a transfer of the Spirit from an individual to a group. In both cases
the transfer of the Spirit results in an outburst of prophecy. After the
elders have prophesied, Moses expresses the earnest desire "?Vould that
all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit
upon them!" The transfer of the Holy Spirit from Jesus to the disciples
on the day of Pentecost potentially fulfills Moses' desire, for with the gift
of the Spirit to the disciples the age of the prophethood of all believers
has dawned.
Because the day of Pentecost represents a transfer of the Spirit
from Jesus to the disciples, it must have a similar meaning for them as it

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did for the baptismal gift of the Spirit to Jesus. Though Luke uses
different terminology in each narrative, the gift of the Spirit to the
disciples is functionally equivalent to the anointing of Jesus by the Spirit,
inaugurating and empowering their respective ministries. Consequently,
as it was in Old Testament times, and for the ministry of Jesus, the gift of
the Spirit to the disciples on the day of Pentecost is primiarly vocational
'
in both purpose and result.
The transfer of the Holy Spirit also'takes place subsequent to the
day of Pentecost. In Samaria, Simon saw that the Spirit was given
through (3La) the laying on of the apostles' hands (Acts 8:18). In '
Damascus, Ananias laid his hands on Saul so that he might see again and
be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17). At Ephesus, when Paul placed
his hands on the disciples, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke
in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:6). The gift of the Spirit to the house-
hold of Cornelius, which is independent of the imposition of hands, is
reminiscent of the transfer of the Spirit from Moses to the elders.
Not only is the Old Testament transfer motif characteristic of the
gift of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts, but the complementary sign motif is
also prominent in Luke-Acts. Luke does not, however, use the septua-
gintal sign terminology. Nevertheless, the sign motif is evident in the
visible and audible phenomena which accompany the gift of the Holy
Spirit. For example, Matthew, Mark and John simply report that the
Spirit descended, "like a dove" (Matt. 3:16; Mk. 1:10; Jn. 1 :32), whereas
Luke reports that the Spirit descended, "in bodily form, as a dove" (Lk.
3:22). By this qualification Luke emphasizes that the descent of the
Spirit upon Jesus is not visionary; it is an external, physical and objective
manifestation of the Spirit. Concomitant with the descent of the Spirit, a
voice from heaven declares, "Thou art my beloved son, with thee I am
well-pleased" (Lk. 3:22). The descent of the Spirit and the voice from
heaven, then, are the visible and audible ?signs which attest to the
anointing or messiahship of Jesus.
Just as the anointing of Jesus is attested to by visible and audible
signs, so the transfer of the Holy Spirit to the disciples on the day of
Pentecost is also attested to by visible and audible signs. Luke reports,
And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a
might wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and

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 resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance (Acts 2:2-4).
The visible sign is the tongues of fire and the audible signs are the sound
of the wind and the disciples' speaking with other tongues. As Peter
observes in his Pentecost address, the transfer of the Spirit is an
experience which the crowd could both, "see and hear" (Acts 2:33).
The sign motif is also characteristic of Luke's record of the gift of the
Holy Spirit to the Samaritans, the household of Cornelius and the
Ephesians. After the Samaritans had received the Holy Spirit, Simon,
"saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles'
hands" (Acts 8 :18). Having heard the household of Cornelius speaking in
tongues, "the believers from among the circumcised ... were amazed,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the
Gentiles" (Acts 10:45). Peter subsequently reports that God, "bore
witness to them (eliaprvpi7uEv giving them the Holy Spirit just
CfL.VrOL3),
as he did to us" (Acts 15:8). Similarly, the Holy Spirit came upon the
disciples at Ephesus, "and they spoke with tongues and prophesied"
(Acts 19:6). Luke's repeated emphasis on "seeing" and "hearing"
demonstrates the centrality of the sign motif for his theology of the Holy
Spirit. In his terminology, the visible and/or audible phenomena
"witness" to the gift of the Spirit.
As in Old Testament times, so in Luke-Acts prophecy is the sign
which is most closely identified with the gift of the Holy Spirit. For
example, though Jesus is more than a prophet, the descent of the Spirit
upon him anoints him for a readily recognizable prophetic ministry.
Thus, when he raises a widow's son from the dead, the people exclaim, "A
great prophet has arisen among us" (Lk 7:16). Jesus seems to have
consciously patterned his prophetic ministry after the prophets Elijah
and Elisha, for like these early charismatic prophets he is rejected by his
own people (Lk. 4:24-27), he raises the dead (Lk 7:14-15), and he
multiplies a little food into much food (Lk. 9: 12ft). Moreover, like Elisha
he also heals the leper (Lk 5:12) and gives sight to the blind (Lk. 18:43).
Therefore it is not surprising to find that the crowds think that Jesus is
Elijah or one of the other prophets come to life (Lk. 9:19). Moreover,
consistent with his prophetic ministry, the early church identified Jesus
to be the prophet like unto Moses (Deut. 18:15-19/Acts 3:22, 7:37).

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 The prophetic sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit is not restricted to
the ministry of Jesus, but is characteristic throughout Luke-Acts. For
example, as the follow chart illustrates, Luke uses "to be filled with the
Holy Spirit" as a technical term to describe the inspiration of the Spirit.

Clearly, being filled with the Spirit results in one of several speech
patterns which Luke twice identifies as prophecy (Lk 1:67, Acts 2:4-17).
Consequently, when Luke reports that Peter equates the experience of
the household of Cornelius with that of the disciples on the day of Pente-
cost, he expects that his readers will identify Cornelius' "speaking with
other tongues" (Acts 10:46) to be prophetic speech as well. In his .
description of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Ephesians, Luke makes
this identification explicit for he reports, "they spoke with tongues and
prophesied" (Acts 19:6). In Luke's perspective, therefore, the terms "to
be filled with the Holy Spirit" and "to speak with tongues" describe the
prophetic sign which attests to the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion .

From the foregoing survey, it has become evident that the Old
Testament influences Luke's record of the activity of the Holy Spirit in
New Testament times. We have observed the same motifs in Luke-Acts
as we observed for the Spirit of God in Old Testament times. We have
also observed that Luke typically describes the activity of the Holy Spirit

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by septuagintal terminology. Therefore, in comparison with the record of
the Spirit of God in the Old Testament, we conclude that in Luke's
theology the gift of the Holy Spirit is primarily vocational or charismatic.
Luke's charismatic theology, however, also contrasts with Old
Testament times. In the first place, this contrast is one of magnitude. In
Old Testament times the charismatic activity of the Spirit of God is
restricted to leadership, whereas in Luke-Acts it takes on a universal
dimension. In the second place, in Old Testament times the focus of the
activity of the Spirit is upon the nation, whereas in Luke-Acts it is upon
the person and mission of the earthly and risen Jesus. Therefore, though
Luke's charismatic theology is greatly influenced by the Old Testament,
it is also conditioned by the overwhelming consciousness that he is
recording the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Lord's anointed and his people
in the last days or the age of fulfillment.
The fact that Luke is a debtor to the Old Testament has important
implications for hermeneutics. In the first place, in light of the influence
of the Old Testament on Luke's theology, it is impossible to interpret
Luke as though he were PauL That is, even though Paul and Luke may
use similar terminology, such as "to be filled with the Holy Spirit" or "to
be baptized in/by the Holy Spirit" Paul's use of these terms is not
determinative for their meaning in Luke-Acts. The all too common
tendency to make Paul the canon for the meaning of the Holy Spirit in
Luke-Acts of all theological significance. Therefore, to press Luke into
the Pauline mold is to impoverish the Christian doctrine of the Holy
Spirit.
In the second place, in light of the influence of the Old Testament on
Luke's theology, it is no longer possible to interpret Luke as though he
were a reformed theologian. In contrast to the preoccupation of reformed
theology with an initiation/incorporation interpretation of the gift of the
.
Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts, the gift of the Spirit is primarily vocational or
charismatic. Even though it may conflict with the rationalism of
reformed theology, the gift of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts is normally an
experience reality with visible and/or audible phenomena witnessing to
the gift of the Spirit.
This, then, is an introduction to Luke's theology of the Holy Spirit.
As in Old Testament times, the gift of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts is to
.
equip God's people for service; that is, it is vocational or charismatic in
both purpose and result.

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